Ellison Bay, Wisconsin Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 186, Ellison Bay's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Ellison Bay is a small community located in Wisconsin, within Door County. The total population is 186. It ranks as the 702nd most populous out of 808 Census-designated places in Wisconsin.

Age Demographics

The median age in Ellison Bay is 62.5 years. This is 55% higher than the state median of 40.2 years. Only 10.8% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 17.2% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Ellison Bay is $66,000. This is 15% lower than the state median of $77,485. It is also 18% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 21.0%. This is 99% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.5%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Ellison Bay, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $292,900. Housing costs are 10% higher than the state median of $266,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.4x. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 47% higher than the state average of 67.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Ellison Bay has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 87.1% of all residents.

Education

68.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Ellison Bay in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 105% higher than the state rate of 33.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample. Notably, 19.2% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Ellison Bay, Wisconsin is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Wisconsin state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 808 Census-designated places in Wisconsin. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.